RulaBrownNetwork (RBN): 2013-12-08

President Obama's Half-Brother, Mark Obama Publishes Autobiography - Addresses Domestic Abuse, Reveals Private Family Matters

President Barack Obama's half-brother is publishing an autobiography that details the domestic abuse that served as the theme for his earlier semi-autobiographical novel, which featured an abusive parent patterned on their late father.

Mark Obama Ndesandjo also recounts his sporadic-but-intense encounters with his brother over the years in Cultures: My Odyssey of Self-Discovery. The self-published book, to be released in February, also tries to set the record straight on some points in the president's bestselling 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father. In that book, Obama seeks to learn more about their father, a mostly absent figure, after learning of his death in a car crash in 1982 at age 46. read more

Student Sam McNair Suspended For Sexual Harassment After Hugging Teacher

A petition for Sam McNair, a Georgia teen suspended from school earlier this month after hugging a teacher, is gaining steam around the Internet.

Sam McNair

The petition, which had over 4,000 signatures on Wednesday afternoon, calls on Gwinnett County Public Schools to overturn McNair’s punishment. According to the Change.org petition, which was started by a Los Angeles woman, “The punishment does NOT fit the violation.”

The high school senior was suspended until next December after a teacher claimed McNair sexually harassed her, according to CBS Atlanta. Video surveillance footage of the incident shows McNair hugging the teacher from behind before she promptly pushes him away. The teacher claims that McNair’s lips and cheek touched her neck, though McNair vehemently denies this, per CBS Atlanta. read more

Tre'viance Markese Walker Killed 5 month old Baby Who Was Crying During Football Game: Cops

News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

An Oklahoma man allegedly killed a 5-month-old baby because the boy wouldn't stop crying at a football game.

Tre'viance Markese Walker, 22, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's son, who has been identified only as "J.B.", The Oklahoman reported.

An affidavit states that J.B. died of head injuries he received on December 7 under Walker's care at the man's home in Norman. Walker allegedly told police that he was watching at the University of Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State football game on TV when J.B. started crying, and Walker responded by picking up the infant so aggressively that J.B.'s head "snapped back." read more

Bus Passengers Wrestle Armed Robber To The Ground In Striking Surveillance Footage (VIDEO)

Commuters in Washington were recently interrupted from their normal evening commute when an armed man boarded a Metro bus to West Seattle and tried to rob passengers at gunpoint.

But it was what happened next that makes the situation all the more striking: Bus passengers fought back against the would-be robber.

Surveillance footage released by prosecutors Wednesday shows one commuter push the armed man away before several other passengers jump into the fray. Working together, the bus passengers wrestle the gun-wielding man to the floor.

Though the video cuts away, passengers managed to pin the man down until police could take him into custody. read more

Barbados layoffs could be beginning of a gloomy time for CARICOM

While the economic recession that began in late 2008 has abated in North America and Europe, its effects have been prolonged in those Caribbean countries whose economies are highly reliant on services, the principal one being tourism says Sir Ronald Sande

Sir Ronald Sanders

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday Decemeber 19, 2013 - The announcement on Friday 13 December by the government of Barbados that it will lay-off over 3,000 public servants in January as a first step in cutting back government expenditure and reducing national demand for goods and services has rightly rattled other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members.

Concern has been greatest in neighbouring Eastern Caribbean countries, particularly the six independent ones that, with the British overseas territory, Montserrat, form the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Tessanne Chin First "Jamaican" Interview after winning "The Voice" season 5

Here is Tessanne Chin’s first “Jamaican” Interview after winning “The Voice” season 5.
She discusses Jamaican food and big up her “Half Way Tree” crew.

Indian Woman Miscarries 10 Babies In One Night

In what's being called a medical record in India, a 28-year-old woman in Madhya Pradesh miscarried 10 babies in one night this week.

The Indo-Asian News Service reports that Anju Kushwaha delivered nine of the babies late Sunday night before she arrived at a hospital, where she delivered the 10th. Doctors revealed Monday that all of the babies were dead at 12 weeks.

It appears fertility drugs may have contributed to Kushwaha's conception and unusually high multiple pregnancy. According to the Business Standard, doctors at the hospital said the miscarriages followed ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome -- a complication from fertility medication.

"It seems that that there was no regular follow-up of her pregnancy after [in vitro fertilization]," Dr. Sumitra Yadav, a senior gynecologist, told The Times Of India. "At least three offspring could have been saved by reducing the pregnancy." read more

BREAKING NEWS: Many casualties in London's Apollo Theatre's roof collapses (UK)

Part of a roof in the Apollo Theatre in central London has collapsed during a performance.

The theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue was packed for a performance of the Curious Incident Of The Dog in the Night-time.

An eyewitness said she heard "a crackling" noise before the collapse at about 20:15 GMT. Another eyewitness said the "entire dome roof" fell on audience members seated in the stalls. London Ambulance said there were 30 casualties including walking wounded. London Fire Brigade said eight fire engines were attending and police are also at the scene in London's busy Theatreland.

Witnesses said they saw people leaving the building, covered in dust and debris - with some people bleeding and crying.

'Strange crackling noise' read more

Jilted Scottish groom, 57, to give second chance to Jamaican bride, 24, who jilted him after 20 minutes 21 Nov 2011 00:00 EXCLUSIVE: A jilted Scots groom is giving a second chance to the runaway Jamaican bride who dumped him after just 20 minutes.

A jilted Scots groom is giving a second chance to the runaway Jamaican bride who dumped him after just 20 minutes.

Johnny Gannon, 57, admits his pals think he's crazy to have anything more to do with Patrice Chambers, 24.

But he's agreed to meet her for showdown talks in Jamaica next month.And he's already sent her hundreds of pounds for medical bills - on top of the £5000 he blew on their ill-fated marriage.

Social worker Johnny told the Record: "She has been back in contact. "My friends think I'm mad, and I understand people questioning my thinking. "But she's pleading with me to get her back over here and she says she doesn't want a divorce. "I don't know what to think. A lot will depend on her demeanour when I meet her."

The Record told in July how Johnny, who regularly travels to Jamaica, fell for pretty Patrice on the island when a pal set them up on a blind date. She suggested marriage after being turned down for a visa to come to Britain, and they wed in Jamaica earlier this year. read more

ENTER CHAT, LISTEN & WATCH BROADCAST LIVE 24/7

FOR AUDIO ONLY (No Commercials) - CLICK PLAYER ABOVE on RIGHT

FOR USTREAM VIEWING & RBN CHATROOM CLICK ON PLAYER BELOW

To listen, click PLAY icon above then unmute speaker icon at bottom left on player after a brief commercial. Enjoy the sweet music.To chat below, please sign in with your RBN account. Scheduled shows are PALVS & SSSJamz w/ RULA BROWN, Sir ROCKWELL w/ Golden Sundays, Foundation Radio Networkw/ CLINTON LINDSAY is broadcast daily. WINSOME BENJAMIN w/ Winsome Benjamin Showcase every Mon-Fri. Pleasesupport the scholarship program by considering to donate at least $10.00 at www.PALAS1.org. Thank you very much.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL : Doctors Perform Cesarean On Woman Who Wasn't Pregnant

SAO PAULO (AP) — Officials in southeastern Brazil say doctors performed a cesarean section on a 37-year-old woman only to discover that she wasn't pregnant.

Simone Carvalho is a spokeswoman for the Health Department of the coastal city of Cabo Frio. She said Tuesday the woman told doctors at the city's Woman's Hospital she was 41 weeks pregnant and in pain.

Carvalho said one reason doctors believed she was pregnant was because "she had the symptoms associated with pregnancy like an enlarged abdomen and nausea." Carvalho said "doctors could not hear the baby's heartbeat and feeling its life was in danger ordered an emergency cesarean after which they discovered it was a false pregnancy."

The spokeswoman added the woman "was so convinced she was pregnant, that she altered her prenatal tests that showed otherwise because she was convinced the results were wrong." read more

Target Customers Had Credit Card Info Stolen On Black Friday: Report.......40 Millions may be affected.

Dec 18 (Reuters) - An unknown number of Target Corp customers shopping over the busy Black Friday weekend had their credit card information stolen in an "extensive" breach of the U.S. retailer's security, Dow Jones reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The theft may have occurred through software installed at machines customers use to swipe their cards when paying, Dow Jones cited one of the unidentified sources as saying.

The Black Friday weekend after Thanksgiving is among the busiest shopping periods of the year. Target did not respond to requests for comment.

Tessanne to headline Shaggy and Friends to raise funds for Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew.

TESSANNE Chin will be the headliner for charity show, Shaggy and Friends, set for the lawn of Jamaica House on January 4.

Dr Lambert Ennis (left) of the Bustamante
Hospital for Children congratulates
reggae act and philanthropist Shaggy
for his work in raising funds
for the hospital...
(PHOTOS: BRYAN CUMMINGS).

It will be the singer's first local performance since winning the NBC talent competition, The Voice, on Tuesday night. Diamond-selling reggae act Shaggy made the announcement at the charity show's launch held at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew, yesterday. Proceeds from the event will go towards the 50-year-old facility's cardiac wing which currently under construction and scheduled to open in February..

Shaggy said he encouraged Chin to try out for the American TV talent show as a means of boosting her career internationally. He said he had prior experience working with singer Dez Duron in the 2012 season.

"I had first hand experience and, therefore, knew what was required for someone to go all the way on The Voice and just knew Tessanne was the full package. She has that great personality plus she can sing like hell. I was confident it would work for all concerned," he said.Read more

Tessanne Chin: What Mr Adam Levine knows that Jamaicans don't. Shaggy praised.

No one can deny us this extraordinary moment of national self-satisfaction and even back-patting after Ms Tessanne Chin's awesome coronation on NBC's The Voice on Monday night in Los Angeles.

Yet, while we savour this historic victory, if it is to mean anything more than our well known predilection for slipping right back into complacency after achieving world-beating performances, then it must also mean a call to serious reflection.

We must, for example, recognise our profound debt of gratitude to the people of the United States of America for the opportunity they provided to Tessanne. Every sensible Jamaican will acknowledge that if Americans had held steadfast to a spirit of parochialism and voted overwhelmingly for one of their own, Tessanne would not have won.

Voice Champion Tessanne Chin

Then we must 'big up' in no uncertain way Mr Adam Levine, her coach, who saw something in Tessanne that we fear Jamaicans had missed for many years, much to our chagrin. Mr Levine went out on a limb Monday night to say: "In my heart, I know you have won" after Tessanne's mind-bending performance of Whitney Houston's classic, I have nothing. It was a courageous move on his part, because he still had another competitor, in Mr Will Champlin, who was to perform next. Read more:

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 61 y-o man impregnates 13 y-o girl who gave birth to triplet boys

SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – A 13-year-old girl gave birth to triplets in a maternity unit in this capital and both she and the newborns are out of danger, the hospital said Tuesday.

The three boys weighed 1.9, 1.4 and 1.7 kilos (4.2, 3.1 and 3.7 pounds) at birth and are the product of a sexual relationship the teenage mother had with a 61-year-old man, who was accused of seducing minors and is now a fugitive. The three infants are "beautiful" and "healthy," but they are being kept in the intensive care unit because the mother's pregnancy only lasted 34 weeks, the director of the Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia Maternity Unit, Victor Calderón, said. The babies, however, are not in any danger, Calderón said. read more

Outlandish Estate Built By Pimp Is Like Nothing You've Ever Seen (PHOTOS)......A 26,000 square foot home on the market -- for less than $1.3 million?

A 26,000 square foot home on the market -- for less than $1.3 million? Something seems amiss.

At 4923 Kessler Blvd. East Drive, it might be the absolute lack of any cohesive design focus in this immense, sprawling manor, dubbed "one of the most unique pieces of real estate in Indianapolis," that allows the bargain pricing.

Superlatives are often overused in real estate descriptions, but there is literally nothing like this estate -- and the story of how it all came to be is even more ludicrous than the decor.

The estate was the dream of Indy's Jerry A. Hostetler, whom the Indy Star refers to as "the almost-famous pimp-turned-construction mini-magnate" in a 2012 piece. "Mr Big," as the cops called Hostetler, bought the property in the 1960s when it was just a modest ranch home, at the age of 23. From there, he began buying up his neighbors' houses and constructing a fantasy estate -- in a style that can only be described as Midwestern Vegas Versailles. read more

Ira Curry, Bronx native is one of two to share 636 Million Dollar Lottery Winner comes forward in Georgia.

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia woman who bought just one ticket and used family birthdays and lucky No. 7 to choose her numbers was one of two winners of the $636 million Mega Millions jackpot, the second-largest in U.S. history.

Ira Curry.

Lottery officials in Georgia identified the winner as Ira Curry, of Stone Mountain, which is east of Atlanta. Curry will take a lump sum of $123 million after taxes, Georgia Lottery chief executive Debbie Alford said. "She has not decided how she'll spend those winnings," Alford said at a news conference Curry did not attend.

The other winning ticket was sold at a gift shop in San Jose, Calif. Curry was driving to work Wednesday when an announcer on the radio talked about the mega ball being No. 7. Curry knew that was her mega ball number, so she called her daughter to check the numbers. "Between joyful tears and laughter on the daughter's part, she relayed to her mother that her mother had won the lottery," Alford said. read more

Tessanne Chin: "I Have Nothing" - The Voice Highlight

TESSANNE FUN MOMENTS ON FACEBOOK....SHARE

Jamaican bride dumps new husband 20 MINUTES after arriving in the UK... and guess who paid for her £5k visa Heartbroken charity worker believes she 'joined boyfriend with whom she planned scheme' He paid £5,000 for her visa

A charity worker who spent £5,000 bringing his new Jamaican bride to the UK was left heartbroken after she abandoned him within 20 minutes of walking through his front door.

False pretences: Mr Gannon pictured
with his new wife after their wedding in Jamaica

Johnny Gannon spent thousands arranging a visa for 24-year-old Patrice Chambers so they could live in marital bliss in his council flat in Perth, Scotland.

But as soon as Patrice arrived in Perth, she sent trusting Mr Gannon, 57, out to buy Pot Noodles. When he returned she grabbed her bags and told him she was going.

Within 20 minutes of arriving through his front door she had flagged down a car and caught a train. He found out she had also run up a £500 bill on his mobile phone.

Heartbroken Mr Gannon, who married Patrice in Jamaica early this year, believes his new wife fled to Bristol to meet a Jamaican boyfriend with whom she had organised the scheme.

He told the Daily Mirror: 'I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with Patrice but I think she had planned all along to do this. Read more:

Tessanne Chin is The Voice.....Tens of Thousands celebrate in Half Way Tree Square. (VIDEO)

Post by Jamaica IS Nice.

JUST as her coach Adam Levine had predicted at the blind auditions on September 24, Jamaican singer Tessanne Chin walked away with the top spot on the NBC talent show The Voice, last night, creating local music history in the process as the first Jamaican to ace the popular contest.

The curtains came down on the fifth season of the show with an emotional Chin singing in a hail of confetti, belting the Ryan Tedder-penned winner's song under the intense and emotional gaze of her mother Christine and husband Michael Anthony Cuffe Jr.

When host Carson Daly announced the winner at just before 11:00 pm, Jamaicans erupted in spontaneous applause and wild cheers. Second spot went to 16-year-old Jacquie Lee, while Will Champlin picked up the third spot.

It was a night of great performances as the three finalists, 17 of the former contestants and recording artistes Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Paramore, Aloe Blacc and One Republic took to the stage. Read more:

ENTER CHAT, LISTEN & WATCH BROADCAST LIVE 24/7

FOR AUDIO ONLY (No Commercials) - CLICK PLAYER ABOVE on RIGHT

FOR USTREAM VIEWING & RBN CHATROOM CLICK ON PLAYER BELOW

MANDEVILLE, Manchester JAMAICA: Making learning fun Music boosts academics at McIntosh Primary

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Remember when you were in basic school?

The classroom was full of energy — music, songs, brilliant colours. Much of what was learnt was steeped in happy rhythms and poetic songs.

Songs like 'a, b, c, d, e, f, g... next time won't you sing with me' and 'one and 20, two and 20, three and four and five and six and 20, 27, 28, 29, 30'. A similar but more advanced programme incorporating music and song in the classroom has been reaping success at a number of primary schools.

Students at McIntosh Primary School

The First Global Bank initiative entitled 'Music — a perfect pitch for a sound education', was launched across six primary schools in 2011 to defuse the myth surrounding Mathematics and English, and to help students do better in these courses. Organisers targeted the grade three students in particular, to ensure a good showing on the Grade Four Literacy Test, which assesses primary school students' ability to read and do Math ahead of the GSAT exit exam. Read more:

DRUG COMPANY GIVES UP KICKBACKS TO DOCTORS.....GlaxoSmithKline To Stop Paying Doctors To Promote Drugs

The New York Times, Astrazeneca, Big Pharma, Bribery, Glaxosmithkline, Glaxosmithkline Pay Doctors, Pharmaceutical Industry, Prescriptions, Reuters, Sales & Shopping, Business News

* GSK scrapping doctor payments for speaking engagements

* Ending sales reps' targets globally following U.S. move

* Comes amid criticism of aggressive industry sales tactics

* Move may pressure other drug companies to follow suit

By Ben Hirschler

glaxosmithkline pay doctors

LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline will stop paying doctors for promoting its drugs and scrap prescription targets for its marketing staff - a first for an industry battling scandals over its sales practices, and a challenge for its peers to follow suit.

Britain's biggest drugmaker also said on Tuesday it would stop payments to healthcare professionals for attending medical conferences as it tries to persuade critics it is addressing conflicts of interest that could put commercial interests ahead of the best outcome for patients. read more

Tessanne Chin: "I Have Nothing" - The Voice Highlight.......Sings Whitney Houston (VIDEO)

Banana Fungus, Insect Outbreak Threaten Global Supply

Banana lovers better satiate their appetites now. The world's supply of the fruit is under attack.

According to Scientific American, strains of a particular soil fungus -- Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, or Foc -- have struck a key variety of banana grown for export in Mozambique and Jordan. Scientists fear that if the banana fungus spreads further, the popular Cavendish banana could become critically threatened.

The fungus, which has been found on several plantations, causes the incurablePanama disease, or Fusarium wilt, that rots bananas. In the 1950s, another strain of the banana fungus nearly wiped out the Gros Michel cultivar, once as common as the Cavendish variety. After the fungus decimated banana populations in Central and South America, producers switched to the Cavendish, which was resistant to the strain of fungus at the time.

But scientists have long feared that the Tropical Race 4 strain of the fungus -- previously confined to areas of Asia and Australia -- would eventually spread around the world and wipe out the Cavendish supply, just as a previous strain did to the Gros Michel banana. read more

Jamaicans Dominate CSEC Vocational Subjects Rankings......Jamaicans were placed in the Top 10 in 34 out of 35 subjects. Ardenne High was the top school.

Jermaine Francis, Staff Reporter

Jamaican students have dominated the technical and vocationalsubjects in the recent Caribbean Examinations Council exams, with many of the island's students outclassing their regional contemporaries to secure top-10 places in these subjects.

Thwaites, Ministry of Education in Jamaiaca

Subjects such as food and nutrition, building technology (construction), mechanical engineering, and electrical and electronic technology, at both the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exams (CAPE), had more than five Jamaican students being placed in the top 10.

In fact, in both units of CAPE food and nutrition, Jamaican students swept the top 10, and 11 students, some tying, copped a spot in the top 10 for construction.

It is for this reason HEART Trust/NTA officials say they will be expanding their programmes to offer more appealing courses to the these top students. read more

CAN'T TESS DIS.....TESSANNE CHIN HOLDS # 1, 4 and 13 positions on iTUNES Top 100 Chart. See complete list as she will be the CHAMPION of The VOICE Tonight.

You still have up to 11am EST to vote.
See the top 100 iTUNES Download list.
You may vote HERE

Pages